Resources

Never again—How the international community allowed ISIS/Daesh to commit genocide

Never Again presents a comprehensive analysis of the law on genocide. Drawing on evidence of genocide since 1948 and eye witness accounts of ISIS/Daesh atrocities, Never Again demonstrates that the system designed to safeguard the vulnerable offers only illusory protection. With the rise of non-State actors, its capacity to oppose the most egregious violations of human rights is frighteningly limited.

Ewelina Ochab and ADF International provide a blueprint to address the faults in the Convention and to ensure the law on genocide adapts to respond to terrorism. It is time to renew the pledge to stand against genocide, in all its forms.

Navigating Shifting Tides at the European Court of Human Rights

The European Court of Human Rights has the monumental task of protecting the most fundamental freedoms of more than 800 million citizens across 47 States. That’s a significant challenge given that the Court is asked to reconcile substantial disagreements between these States on controversial issues—and views on marriage, family, sanctity of life, and religious freedom are far less cohesive now than when the European Convention on Human Rights was drafted.

The ‘Conscience of Europe?’ examines the Court’s sometimes unpredictable jurisprudence in these increasingly controversial areas. With a palpable concern for human rights and religious freedom, the contributors provide an objective critique of the Court’s role, while exploring the changes recent years have brought to the complex legal landscape of Europe.

Censored - Why Free Speech Matters

Censored addresses the rise of so-called “hate speech” laws throughout Europe and their devastating effect on freedom of speech. In Germany, for example, committing an “insult” is a criminal offence and in Poland offending “religious feelings” carries a two year prison sentence. In Cyprus, anyone who promotes “feelings of ill will” may be committing a crime, while in Sweden anyone who expresses “contempt” towards a group of people may be imprisoned.

Across Europe, such laws are readily being used. Ministers of religion are arrested for preaching sermons from the Bible, journalists are routinely fined, and even private conversations between citizens can result in criminal investigations.

A Short Guide to Understanding the International Organizations and the Opportunities for Engagement

Throughout the world today, marriage is being redefined by national courts and governments, religious liberty is severely threatened, and abortion is routinely promoted as a “human right”. The international organizations that were established in the 20th century to protect fundamental human rights are instead in some areas being used to undermine them. This short guide seeks to answer three questions: What are the international and regional human rights institutions that exist around the world, why do they matter and how can individuals and organizations get involved?

The Legalization of Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: An inevitable slippery slope

This paper makes the case for the prohibition of euthanasia and assisted suicide. Rather than requiring the legalization of these troubling practices, international law robustly protects the right to life—particularly for the most vulnerable. The threat posed by a number of legislative proposals across Europe is highlighted through the example of those countries which have already gone down this road. An investigation into the developments in Belgium, Canada, and the Netherlands shows that where euthanasia and assisted suicide are legalized, the number of people euthanized, and the number of qualifying conditions increase with no logical stopping point.

The UN's Failure to Promote and Protect Religious Freedom

The Rise of Faux Rights

The United Nations and its various entities are supposed to be committed to the protection and promotion of fundamental, universal human rights. Yet increasingly, individual UN entities promote new conceptions of rights not universally agreed by Member States.

International Planned Parenthood Federation: The Whole Story

The International Planned Parenthood Federation is possibly the world’s largest and most powerful lobby group, advocating for ‘sexual and reproductive health’ and sexual ‘rights. This paper scrutinizes IPPF’s activities and advocacy and questions the support and funding it receives from the European Union, the United Nations, and national governments.

UPRS:

The UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report system is used to assess the human rights situations in all 193 UN Member States by their peers - ADF International submits reports during each annual UPR cycle.Read More...